Swimming

Do you have a favorite summer swimming hole? A place that you like to spend warm summer days in Maine? Here are some great spots to visit for a swim with your family and friends to enjoy Maine's clean, refreshing waters.

In a rolling landscape dominated by farms, Quaggy Joe Mountain presents a prominent profile. Alongside it lies Echo Lake, a popular brook trout fishery and swimming destination. Both these recreational resources lie within Aroostook State Park, the first state park ever created in Maine (in 1939). The Park, just five miles south of Presque Isle, draws Read More

A grant from the Land for Maine’s Future program allowed the Maine Department of Conservation to acquire land needed to complete public ownership of the beach, protecting the site’s natural character by buffering it from development. Known for its gentle surf and brisk waters, the attractive crescent-shaped beach at Birch State Point Park (known locally as Lucia Read More

Two undeveloped islands off North Haven, 15-acre Burnt Island and 25-acre Sheep Island, support two pairs of nesting eagles that are among the most successful in the state. Between 1970 and 1989, the Burnt Island eagle pair (or their successors) raised more than 21 eaglets, according to Charlie Todd, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Read More

Fast-growing residential growth along Casco Bay has fragmented and destroyed much wildlife habitat. For the species that remain, the undeveloped islands in the eastern Bay provide a critical resource. The Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program has helped to protect three of these islands: 11-acre Mark, 27-acre Flag, and 125-acre Whaleboat. Mark Island is one Read More

The good water quality of Cold Rain Pond, near Sebago Lake, supports a thriving cold-water fishery. Lying in an increasingly populous area, this water body is remarkably undeveloped. Only one camp fronts on this “great pond” and a conservation easement held by Loon Echo Land Trust protects most of that private property from further development. No Read More

Dodge Point slopes gently down from a 240-foot height of land to the Damariscotta River, where the land drops off precipitously in places–offering views downriver that extend for miles. The property is rich in ecological and historical values as well as scenic beauty. The 508-acre peninsula has old growth trees, several important plant communities, Native Read More

The Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program has helped an ambitious effort to protect all the lands bordering the Ducktrap River, buffering critical salmon spawning and rearing habitat in one of the last eight rivers in Maine with runs of native Atlantic salmon. This land protection project has met with remarkable success, thanks to the Read More

Ferry Beach State Park, named for the site where passengers were once ferried across the Saco River, offers local residents and visitors sweeping views of white sand beaches between the Saco River and Pine Point. The 117-acre day use park has picnic tables, guided nature programs and nature trails (that introduce visitors to the park’s Read More

In hot, summer weather, Bethel and Rumford area residents seek out Frenchman’s Hole to swim in a clear and powerful mountain stream. The only other options for public swimming are at lakes more than 16 miles away that have minimal public access. The unspoiled stretch of stream at Frenchman’s Hole, rushing down through steep terrain Read More